{"id":259,"date":"2020-02-19T13:23:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T13:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northjacksonvillecompletedentistry.com\/blog\/?p=259"},"modified":"2020-03-16T13:23:57","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T13:23:57","slug":"whats-wearing-down-your-smile-causes-and-solutions-for-dental-erosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northjacksonvillecompletedentistry.com\/blog\/whats-wearing-down-your-smile-causes-and-solutions-for-dental-erosion\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Wearing Down Your Smile? Causes and Solutions for Dental Erosion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Enamel is the\nall-important defense system for your teeth, keeping them safe from the forces\nof biting and chewing as well as attacks from oral bacteria. Unfortunately, despite\nits strength, it has a rather severe weakness: it can\u2019t repair itself once it\nhas been broken, meaning it\u2019s gone for good. This makes tooth enamel erosion (which\ncan lead to infections and fractures) particularly dangerous for your dental\nhealth \u2013 meaning you need to avoid it at all cost! Read on to learn about the\ndifferent causes behind tooth enamel erosion and how you can avoid them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Causes Tooth Enamel Erosion?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of the foods and drinks you consume are acidic, and as\na result they can soften your teeth briefly, causing them to lose some of the\nminerals that make up the enamel. Also, eating too much sugar causes oral\nbacteria to produce acid, leading to similar damage. While your saliva will\nnormally cancel out this damage and encourage the teeth to remineralize, your\nmouth won\u2019t have a chance to repair itself if the acid attacks occur too often.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the acid might come from your own body instead. If\nyou suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux, acids from your stomach may come up\ninto your mouth, affecting the backs of your teeth. Any condition that causes you\nto vomit frequently will also lead to issues since vomit tends to be highly\nacidic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your enamel can also be worn down mechanically. Frequent\nclenching and grinding of the teeth, brushing too hard, and biting down on hard\nobjects will all cause your teeth to gradually wear down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can You Prevent Tooth Enamel Erosion?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some enamel loss is inevitable, but there are plenty of\nsteps you can take to keep your teeth healthy overall. To avoid unnecessary erosion,\nbe sure to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n